Arctic soldiers unfold exercise in Novaya Zemlya. Photo: mil.ru

Navy flotilla embarks on Novaya Zemlya

Russia’s Northern Fleet continues its comprehensive Arctic voyage with a string of exercises on the closed and militarized archipelago of Novaya Zemlya.
September 07, 2017

ADVERTISEMENT

After more than two weeks of training in Taymyr, a fleet of more than four heavy Navy vessels this week set out of the Yenisey river with course for open Arctic waters. When reaching the mouth of the great Ural river, the flotilla split in two. While large landing vessels «Kondopoga» and destroyer «Severomorsk» set course towards the east, the landing vessels «Georgy Pobedonosets» and «Aleksandr Otrakovsky» sailed westwards across the Kara Sea, the Northern Fleet press service informs.

Approaching Novaya Zemlya. Photo: mil.ru

On Wednesday, the «Georgy Pobedonosets» arrived in Beluyshya Bay in Novaya Zemlya, where a unit of marines were put on land.

The landing was made on a site without any kind of infrastructure, the Northern Fleet underlines.

On site was subsequently conducted an exercise which included fire from the «Georgy Pobedonostsev» and capture of an enemy stronghold by the marines.

The Northern Fleet has since 2012 annually conducted comprehensive exercises in remote Arctic waters. In 2013, Northern Fleet ships headed by nuclear-powered battleship “Pyotr Velikiy” made it to the far eastern New Siberian Islands on a voyage which marked the start of construction the new major Arctic base of Kotelny.

This year’s Arctic Navy voyage started on August 10th when a convoy of four warships and three support vessels set out from Northern Fleet’s main base of Severomorsk. Five days later, they made port call in Dikson, the town by the mouth of the Yenisey River, and subsequently in Dudinka.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Russian Navy has never before conducted this comprehensive training in the Yenisey river.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sections
Security

The Barents Observer Newsletter

After confirming you're a real person, you can write your email below and we include you to the subscription list.

Privacy policy